While President Barack Obama, vetoed the Keystone XL pipeline last week, this is not the end.

Republicans along with a handful of Democrats in Congress are still in favor of the pipeline’s construction, and they plan to push the project through. But in order for that to happen those in support of the Keystone XL pipeline will need to convince a two-thirds majority in Congress to agree with them. While the future of the project looks bleak, it will not be given up anytime soon.

There is a common misconception that not enough research has been done to support the Keystone XL pipeline’s construction, however, several studies show that this project is environmentally responsible, provides economic benefits and has energy efficiency. For the project to become a reality, supporters will need to dispel the myth that there has been a lack of research and show the benefits of its construction.

Building Keystone XL pipeline has a major advantage: employment opportunities. According to TransCanada, “almost overnight, Keystone XL could put 9,000 hard-working American men and women directly to work.” The U.S. State Department’s Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement has also estimated that this project would generate 42,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide. This project would not only employ Americans, it would also improve the economy.

While the U.S. economy has made vast improvements since the most recent recession, it is not out of the woods yet. The U.S. State Department’s final SEIS deducted that the Keystone XL pipeline construction would benefit counties along the route. The official report stated that 17 of 27 counties would see tax revenues increase by 10 percent or more. And a project of this magnitude is estimated to contribute around $3 billion toward the country’s gross domestic profit.

Whether or not one is in support of this particular project, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the U.S. needs to become less oil dependent on other countries, particularly those in the Middle East. The Keystone XL pipeline will connect the Gulf Coast with the third-largest oil-producing region in the U.S. And would give the U.S. a chance develop more energy security, which will ultimately help secure its future.

The largest and most vocal argument against this project is its potentially harmful environmental impact, which is an absolutely logical concern. However, the project is not being given enough credit for the research that has already been done on these potential dangers. Pipelines are arguably the safest means of transporting both crude oil and natural gases. According to TransCanada, “The State Department’s Final SEIS, and four previous environmental impact statements written over the past five years, containing more than 17,000 pages of scientific research, all reached a similar conclusion: Keystone XL would have minimal impact on the environment.” In addition, this pipeline also passes the Greenhouse Gas test, which means that the project would have minimal impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

There truly has been adequate scientific and environmental impact research prior to the proposal of the project. If the members of Congress want this project to have a shot of being passed through, they need to highlight these benefits, and clearly explain how they can outweigh the negatives.

Victoria Razzi is a freshman magazine journalism major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected] and followed on twitter at @vrazzi.

Published on March 2, 2015 at 12:20 am